Even Now
by TiredGreenEyes
Summary: Kouran and Chichiri both survived the flood that day... but neither knows the other is alive.
1. Chapter 1

The other day I was thinking… which I do on occasion (if by accident). What was the point of making the Suzaku Seven have such tragic pasts? Why is it that not ONE senshi got the pleasure of having a happily ever after? Would it really be so bad if one guy got his girl BESIDES Tamahome?

So, in honor of my favorite senshi Chichiri, I am changing the story slightly in order to insure that SOMEONE besides Miaka and Tamahome get their happily ever after.

You should be able to pick up what's going on, but in case you're wondering I am not even going to go into OVAs because I think the basic story was better without the add ons. Just a personal opinion. :)

Chapter One: Betrayal

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It wasn't anything like she thought it would be.

Even when she had spoke kindly to rebuke him, he had barely listened at all, looking at her as a starving man looks at a piece of bread. When he'd came close to her she had automatically thought to turn and flee and yet resisted the urge. _'Why? This is Hikou! He's my friend, he would never do anything…'_

Why had she not obeyed her inner warnings? _Why_?

He'd grabbed her and pulled her into his embrace, smashing his lips against her own. Her shriek of surprise was immediately silenced. She put her hands on his chest to push him away and found that he was too strong. Unfortunately he took that was an invitation and pulled her more tightly against him, his breath hot against her face. When he finally broke the kiss, his face lingered, mere inches away from her own, looking pleased, terrified, and shocked at his own nerve.

But she, dazed and horrified, looked past him to the man standing behind him.

"Houjun…" she gasped softly.

Hikou's face distorted. "Even now is he all you can-" he stopped abruptly, noticing her gaze. A look of shame and guilt flickered across his face for an instant before he turned, only to see his best friend watching him. Houjun was not capable of hiding his feelings as accurately as Hikou. Bewilderment… rage…they were there.

And hurt.

Yes… hurt was there most of all.

He had lessened his grip slightly and Kouran pushed him away and turned on her heels, running deep into the woods. She ran, jumping branches, sidestepping trees and bushes; she ran as far as she could- further than she ever had. When she collapsed upon the ground, she cried as thought she had been mortally wounded.

_'Even now, all you can think of is…'_

"Houjun!" She cried into the ground, clutching clumps of dirt in her fists, wishing the earth would swallow her up. "Forgive me…"

* * *

Whether he would forgive her, she could not say. She never asked forgiveness to his face. She didn't deserve it. She couldn't deserve it. Not after what she had done… Hikou may have initiated the kiss, but she had suspected it's coming and done nothing.

He had always been such a kind man… maybe he would have forgiven her.

But she'd never forgive herself.

As the two most important people in her life began fighting, the water in their small river village began to rise rapidly. She barely noticed it. Her entire world was ripping apart, why not the elements as well? She walked along the banks of the swollen river slowly, her eyes distant. When she lost her footing and began to fall, she didn't even try to save herself.

It took only fifteen minutes for the entire village and all the people in it to be swept away by the rapid current. For those people it was not swift and abrupt- they could see the water far off ahead of them and had no time to run. The most they could do was hold their heads up and try to die honorably as the water came, stealing their land, their families, and their lives. The river that had once sustained them- given them bountiful harvests and good clear water to drink- now showed them no love.

It took fifteen minutes for the entire village to be destroyed by the rapid current.

But it took merely seconds for an entire decade of friendship to draw it's close.

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End Chapter One. Please Review


	2. Chapter 2

I got ONE review! I don't care if it was one or one million, I like this story!

Thank you for your review! This chapter is short...

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"Hey! Come quick… this girl's alive!"

The words seemed unnaturally loud, as though someone was screaming in her ear. Slowly she moaned, barely moving her head and still feeling as though pain were ricocheting up and down her body. Was she dead? No, she couldn't be. It hurt too much…

Above her she could hear people clamoring around, and then someone's hands gently scooped under her head, supporting it as someone else lifted her onto a stretcher. Even though the hands were gentle, she still moaned loudly, a sharp pain hitting her head and making her gasp.

"Quickly! We must take her to see the boy, Myo Juan-san!"

_'Myo… Juan…' _Kouran's thoughts seem cloudy and her mind felt like it was floating. She was beginning to become more aware of her surroundings, more aware of feeling wet and cold. More aware of the fact she was shivering and her teeth were clenched. More aware that the flood had ripped the clothing from her body and someone placing a blanket over her for modesty's sake. She felt dirty and acknowledged there was mud splattered on the side of her face and down her neck…

_'What happened?_' She felt as thought she was drifting again. When she came down again there was no longer a swaying of men carrying her but instead a faint voice saying, "We found her downstream. There's a pretty bad cut on the back of her head… her hair is all matted with blood."

She sensed someone right above her, leaning over her. Slowly she opened her eyes, feeling as though they were heavy and grated with sand. The image was blurry. She blinked a few times for good measure.

A man. He was tall with broad shoulders, but she still could see that he was young… perhaps only fifteen. Despite his size, his eyes were deep brown and kind. They reminded her of-

Houjun! Her mind gasped and suddenly it all came back to her- the kiss, the rain, the fight- the horrible fight!- and falling into the river…

Were they alright? Where were her friends? Her family? A flood… what had happened?

"M-m-my… village…" she ground out slowly.

The eyes didn't loose their gentleness but there was now sadness laced around the edges. He slowly shook his head.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. "But the River destroyed five villages… there are scattered survivors from each but… you seem to be the only one from your village."

Tears rose and slowly created dirt tracks down her face. She closed her eyes choking back sobs. The young man gripped her hand in his own, squeezing it gently.

"Let me die!" she begged. "Let me die… don't try to save me now. I can't…" she cried again, and her soul seemed to split in half, like her already broken heart.

"I can't go on living without him!"

The young man said nothing, but he allowed her to cry until she ran dry, and lay snuffling. The pain in her head was intense now from her tears and she found herself gritting her teeth again. Was this it then? Was this how she would die? Swallowed up by her injury?

"My village is gone as well." The young man said finally. His voice was broken. "My father… he died trying to save the life of a man who hated him. Even in his effort, he failed."

Kouran felt the pieces of her heart reach out to him. Oh! This poor boy! A guilty relief… someone _who knew_. Who _understood_…

"Right now… it seems like too much to bear. But I know… that even though he's gone that doesn't change the fact that I love him. I will honor his memory as long as I live." The young man paused. He released her hand and slowly began to unwrap a cloth wound around his hand over his palm.

"I don't know what you've lost. But I do know that now that without you, the memory of that village dies. You are the only connection to it. It may be hard… no one expects you to snap out of this, or to feel better immediately. But even if you feel like you have no reason to live… slowly your purpose will come back to you." His hand lingered over her face and suddenly a rush of warmth overtook her.

"Just wait and see." He advised.


End file.
